Prayer Beads
by ScarletRaven1001
Summary: Famous, rich, and absolutely adored by everyone, Miroku finds that there is something that is still missing from his life - romance. But when a set of prayer beads leads him 50 years into the past, could he finally find love with an outcast aspiring artis
1. Default Chapter

A/N: Hiya! Ok, so I know I have other fics to finish, but this idea just wouldn't leave me alone! My mom was trying to tell me about the plot of a certain old movie the other day, and like myself, she has the same horrid memory and couldn't remember how the dang story ended. Wondering how it actually did end started bugging me to the point that I could barely sleep at night. That's kinda where this idea sprung from.

Also, I realized that I don't have any fics that mostly center on Sango and Miroku. I'm guilty of neglecting the pair in some of my fics, and fact remains that I really love them!

So here ya go, the product of my overactive imagination and a night of energy drinks and Lays chips. Unfortunately, I do not intend to get any help from History books, so please, if you see any historical errors, laugh, but try not to point them out. Enjoy, and please, review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Sheesh!

oooooooooo

PRAYER BEADS

Come Back To Me

oooooooooo

Miroku Houshi twirled the old set of prayer beads around his fingers as he lay on his luxurious bed in his mansion. The fine silk sheets twisted under his weight as he turned onto his stomach, staring intently at the offending object wrapped around his hand.

The beads were strung on a thin, yet very tough string. They were of what years ago would have been a brilliant sky blue, but its age had weathered away its luster. The edges of the beads had tiny chips, the paint fading where the beads met on the string.

He had been thinking back to the events of the day, and more specifically, thinking about the old lady he had met earlier. The graceful old woman who had given him the prayer beads.

She had looked so sad, yet so elated to see him. But the strangest thing about the whole deal was... that he had not the faintest clue as to who the old woman was.

Heck, he didn't even know her name.

When they had met, and she had given him the beads, he had been so surprised by her reaction to him that all he had managed to do was gape openly at her, and she just turned away after having said the queerest thing...

--- Flashback ---

"Sir Houshi!"

"Mister Houshi! Miroku!"

"Could you please answer some questions for the Daily Inquirer, Mister Houshi?"

The calls continued and all he really wanted to do was cover his ears. His bodyguards all walked behind him, and the irritating shove and pull of fans and reporters was a constant, but Miroku tried his damnest to hold on to his smile as he walked out of the cinema house.

It had been the premier night of his newest movie, a masterful re-make of the classic "Romeo and Juliet". The cinema had been packed with people, mostly females, and the central aisle of the place had been barricaded for the use of the showbiz perps. The opening had been an absolute success.

He looked up from the ground he was walking on, and locked eyes with a certain swooning fan. Said fan immediately collapsed.

Ah, the perks of being the most famous bachelor movie actor in the industry! Where would Hollywood be without his charms?

Still there. After all, he didn't actually live in Hollywood. He lived in a town about two miles away.

He was just about to step off the red carpet when a beautiful dark-haired reporter blocked his way, shouting questions, and he found himself smiling at her before the guards could come up and pull her away.

"Yura Kami, The Expedition," the reporter in the very short black dress offered. "Miroku-san, is it true that some real-life romance had gone on behind the scenes with your lead actress Stephanie Cray?"

Miroku nearly rolled his eyes. 'Not this again!' he thought.

"Well, Yura, I could assure you that nothing happened, or even sparked between me and Steph. We are just good friends, though I have to admit, she makes fabulous Puttanesca!" he replied. 'Besides, that woman prefers women,' he added mentally.

"So the most sought-after bachelor is still a bachelor?"

"I regret to admit," Miroku answered, "That to this day, I have still yet to find this Romeo's Juliet."

He kept his smile intact, but the fact was that the words had sent a pang through his chest. True, he enjoyed his freedom... but what he wouldn't give to find the perfect woman...

He stepped off the carpet, heading for the limousine that waited for him just a few steps away. He was just about to get it when a sharp, seemingly desperate call halted his actions.

"Houshi-sama!"

It was obviously someone of Japanese descent, like himself. The honorific added to his name gave that away. He turned around, one foot on the vehicle, to find an old woman trudging after his entourage. She was clutching something to her chest, her breaths small gasps of air as she caught up.

He didn't immediately recognize her, though he thought he could recall seeing her in the cinema, up on the VIP platforms.

The guards moved to stand before her, but Miroku immediately held them away as he stepped from his car. "Yes, Madame?"

"Houshi-sama..." she said as she stood before him.

Miroku noted that the woman was probably over seventy years old, but she had aged very gracefully. She was of average height, and she stood firm on her stilettos. She held her almost white hair back in a complicated bun, and her startling magenta eyes were shining. And her figure! Had she happened to have her back to him, he would have mistaken her for a young woman.

"May I help you madame?" he asked with a smile, noticing a rather burly guard emerging from the hall and shouting after the old lady. Ah, the woman's bodyguard.

At this, she held out her hands, and there, he found a very old set of light blue prayer beads. The wooden beads were polished, showing that despite its age, it had obviously been very well taken care of. He took one look at the woman, and felt compelled to take the beads into his hands. He took them from her, and started. For some reason, the beads felt... familiar.

He looked back at her, only to find her staring at his face in near reverence, almost as if she was afraid to tear her gaze from him.

"Come back to me..." the old woman whispered, her eyes happy but pleading.

Miroku blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"Come back to me," she said again, before her guard reached her and pulled her back from him, profusely muttering apologies. She looked over her shoulder at the gaping Miroku, flashing him a tiny smile before she walked towards her own car.

Miroku stared at the beads in his hands, then back at the advancing vehicle, but before he could think to come forward and run after the car, his guards began pushing him into his own limo. He was home before he could even remember that he should have asked the woman for her name.

oooooooooo

He growled in frustration. 'Who was that lady?' he thought to himself, rolling over again and pulling the sheets around beneath him. He heaved a huge sigh and decided to call his manager and best friend (though most often mistaken for one of his bodyguards), Hachi.

He reached over his bedside table and dialed the memorized number. A few rings and his burly, seven foot two buddy's voice came on. "Oi Hachi!"

"Miroku! It's two o'clock in the morning, man! What's up?! Need a bed warmer after your opening night? Your favorite hookers should be free by now. Should I ring Koharu-chan and Clara again?"

"No, you freak," he said with a tiny grin. He couldn't blame Hachi for the assumption though... that was the usual reason for his calls. "I have a favor to ask you."

"When do you not?"

"Oh, shut up," Miroku replied. "I... remember that old lady who ran up to me earlier tonight? At the premier?"

"You mean the one with the nice buns?"

"You had better be talking about her hair, Hachi. She's a senior citizen, for crying out loud!"

"Yeah, but didn't you notice when she turned around? Small waist, tight butt... she was probably a model in her youth. The gal still looks tasty from behind!"

"Have you no respect for the elderly, Hachi?" Miroku sighed in exasperation. And he thought he was a pervert... "Anyway... do you happen to know who she is? I can't seem to fall asleep thinking."

"So you dig elder women now?"

"Not everyone shares your fascination with all beings in a skirt, Hachi."

"Yeah, only you do."

"Hachi..."

"Ok, ok! I was talking to Yura today and-"

"Yura? The reporter?"

"What can I say? Everyone loves the tanuki-man! Anyway... she said the old woman is called Sango Taijiya. Yura said the woman hadn't been seen coming out of her mansion for the past ten years, and everyone was surprised to see her at your premier night showing," Hachi said.

"Sango Taijiya, eh? So just WHO exactly is she?" Miroku asked.

"Oh, don't you know?" Hachi said, surprise lacing his tone. "She was a movie and Broadway actress in the late 1940's. She just stopped working and disappeared in the mid-1950's, and no one knows why."

"Oh?" Miroku replied. "But if she was so popular, why haven't I heard of her?"

"First of all..." Hachi replied testily, and Miroku thought he heard some noise in the background. "There was a decline in the movie industry in the early 1950's so, she was popular to movie-goers, but the gal was no Elvis Presley. And on Broadway, she acted, but was not fond of finding her name on the credit sheets. And of course, there was the fact that she is part Japanese..."

"Oh. I see. Could you maybe, find out where she lives? I wanna talk to her about something she said to me," Miroku said, and before Hachi could reply, he was positive he heard a female voice on the other line. "Oi Hachi, am I interrupting anything?"

Hachi seemed too preoccupied with making "Yura" go back to sleep to answer him.

"Hachi?"

"Oh, sorry Miro. What did you say?"

"I asked if you could get me Miss Taijiya's address. Is Yura asleep now?" he added with a chuckle.

"Asshole," Hachi replied. "Ok, no problem. I'll e-mail it to you before noon tomorrow. Now leave me alone, I have work to do." And with that, the phone went dead.

oooooooooo

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Miroku said to himself as he drove in his oldest, most inconspicuous car to the southern edge of the city. He clutched the piece of paper bearing the old lady's address in his hand. The paper told him that the old lady lived far beyond the southern boundary, her house practically sitting on one of the hills.

It had been three days since the opening night, and he had just now managed to get away from his bodyguards. He didn't want anybody following him to Miss Taijiya's home. They would frighten the poor gal away.

He arrived after an hour-long drive, and he found himself looking at a very pretty, very pristine home. The owner obviously had a thing for pink, what with the tall baby pink gates and matching roof. Not to say that the house lacked a masculine touch, though. The windows were lined with his favorite shades of violet and blue, actually, and the walls were pale gray.

He parked his car by the concrete wall of the gate, before checking for the beads in his pants pocket. He touched them briefly, and walked up to the guard, the same one from the premier night, who stood by the metal fence. "Excuse me, may I please speak with Miss Sango Taijiya? I'm..."

The guard regarded him with a weary expression as he spoke. "What are you talking about? Miss Taijiya died two days ago."

"What?!"

"You heard me. She's dead. She died the morning after she went to the "Romeo and Juliet" premier," the guard said, and Miroku found himself feeling strangely affected by the old lady's death.

"Oh, then, I am sorry for intruding. Tell the family I express my condolences."

"Sure, now you better get back to your house before your guards figure out that you'd ditched them, Mr. Houshi," the guard said with a grin.

"Eh? You know me?"

"Like half the God damn planet," the guard replied with a nod.

oooooooooo

"So, how are things between you and your fiancé, Kagome?" Miroku asked as he activated his phone's hands free mode. He pulled the beads out of his pocket as he lay on his stomach on his bed, listening to his friend over the line.

Kagome is the granddaughter of his grandfather's best friend. Her family lived in an old Shinto shrine near the northern edge of town, right beside his own ancestral home. He had known her since childhood, and their friendship had not dwindled even after he became a star, and she was left as an agent in a call center.

The strangest thing had happened to her, but she vehemently refused to talk about it. The girl had disappeared without a trace about a month ago, on her twenty-first birthday. They had all been frantic, until she suddenly turned up two days later, teary-eyed and hugging everyone like she hadn't seen them in decades... and sporting a fiancé. A very rich, very influential and very strong black-haired fiancé by the name of Inuyasha.

"Oh, fine. He's been in a pretty good mood lately, probably because he has finally made peace with his asshole brother, after all these years, and I can't believe..."

"Years, Kagome? Exactly how long have you known him anyway?"

"Erm... none of your business?"

"Fine, be that way!" Miroku said. "You just met a man one day, and didn't tell me, or anybody else for that matter, and I had to find out from SOUTA of all people, that you had a fiancé. Just because you're engaged at the age of 21, and I'm turning into a spinster."

"Shut up, Miro. It's your own fault for being too choosy... and after all that crap about asking everybody to bear your child, too. You know as well as I do that lots of girls would be begging for you if given the signal. Besides, you're only 24."

"And that's 4 years too old," Miroku said, twirling the beads around his fingers. "Oi, Kagster, do you happen to know anything about a certain Sango Taijiya?"

"..."

"Kag?"

"H-hai, Miro. She's an old actress, why?"

"She said the strangest thing to me, about a week ago, at my opening night. I've been intrigued ever since, but before I could speak with her, she died."

Silence. Then, "Miroku, do you think you could meet me in the well house, alone, today?"

"Hm? Oh, I dunno. I guess. Why? Aren't you engaged?" he replied, waggling his brows and letting his voice take a lecherous tone.

"You always were a pervert. Don't even let Inuyasha hear you say that."

"Ok, ok! I'll be over right away! Just let me change my clothes!" he said, before hanging up.

oooooooooo

The shrine was as it always had been... leaves scattered around the grounds, and the big old God Tree standing tall beside the old well house. The Higurashis' home was painted pale yellow, with a blue roof, and their security system was high on top of the front door.

Only difference was... the place was right then completely deserted.

He groped around the pockets of his jeans, patting the prayer beads he had put in there, as if for reassurance. He sighed, before glancing at his Rolex, and noting that he was just in time.

He walked into the well house, softly sliding the old wooden doors closed behind him. The structure must have been about a hundred years old, give or take a few years.

"Kag? Yo, Kagster, you in here?" he called, looking around. "Man, it's dark in here," he muttered as he felt his way around the place. "Kag, you stinker," he said softly. "You know damn well that I'm night-blind."

Seeing that there was no point standing in front of the door, he slowly made his way down the stairs, heading for the dry well that he knew was in the middle of the shrine. The boards creaked under his weight, and he cringed everytime they did. They didn't creak THAT loudly the last time he had been in there!

"Kag?" he called, knowing well that she wasn't even there yet. 'Probably up in her room,' he thought, sitting up on the lip of the well. He leaned back a bit on his arms, and looked up into the ceiling that his bad eyesight couldn't even see.

Something caught his attention, though, as he looked over his shoulder into the well. A spark, he could have sworn, just blinked up at him from the bottom of the well.

He got up and leaned down on his elbows on the old wood, trying to see into the well. "Eh?" he thought, noticing that the spark he had seen wasn't there. 'Must have been my imagination.'

He was just about to turn around, when a pair of hands shoved up against his shoulder blades with such force, he found himself falling face-first into the well.

"AAAH! Kagome!" he shouted furiously as he fell, knowing for sure that his friend was involved. The one who pushed him was definitely not her – the shove was much too strong, it had to have been Inuyasha – but who else would have thought of pushing him down the well?

He closed his eyes as the well's floor came too close to his face for comfort, stretching his hands out to break his fall.

His arms and face never came in contact with the ground. Instead, he found himself sitting soundly on the floor, his arms still outstretched as he anticipated the pain.

He got up slowly, before looking up at the ceiling. He could hear humming, and his brows lowered in irritation. "Higurashi! I'm sooo gonna get you for this!" he shouted up, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Miroku?" a young male voice called.

'Souta?' he thought, recognizing the voice. "Oi! I'm over here! In the well."

A teenage male's face popped into his blurry view, and he waved his hand when the boy shone a rather large flashlight in. "Can you help me out?"

"Sure!" the teen replied, letting a long rope dangle over the edge. He held onto it as Miroku climbed up. "Mou, how on earth did you fall into the well, Miroku? I told you many times to stay away from it. Legend has it the well is magical, and can transport a man to the past!" he said when Miroku was up and brushing dust off his clothes.

'He's starting to sound like Higurashi-jiisan,' he thought. "How I fell, you ask? Ask your sister," he replied, desperately trying to brush out any dirt.

"My sister?" Souta said in confusion. "What are you...?"

"Oi, let's get out of here, shall we? You know I can't see in the dark."

"You can't?"

Miroku grabbed the rather large and heavy flashlight from his friend, pulling on his sleeve as he pulled them out of the shrine. When they emerged in the sunlight, Miroku turned off the abominable flashlight. "Dude, this is huge! You might as well have used a fog light man!"

When he finally turned towards the boy, he raised an eyebrow before he managed to find his voice. "What are you wearing? Is there a costume party that I didn't know about?"

The boy was wearing clothing typical of the late 1940's... a long-sleeved collared button shirt, a pair of loose pants, socks and black leather shoes. Souta just looked at him strangely. "You tell me." he replied, looking at Miroku's clothes. "Where did you get those pants? A new fad at the monastery?"

Miroku looked down at his denims and purple t-shirt, about to ask what was wrong with his clothing when he stopped. "Monastery?" he asked, confused. He didn't go to a monastery. Last one of his family to do so was his grandpa, Miroku senior...

"Yeah," the boy replied. "But then again, last you said, you were quitting," Souta continued. "I still can barely believe it... since we became neighbors, you have wanted to become a priest, and now you're quitting because of Rei. But like you said, once you fall in love..."

Miroku was confused. "Rei? As in Granny Rei?" he asked.

Souta looked at him strangely. "Granny, huh? Is that your new petname for her? I thought you had agreed on 'darling'?" he remarked with a grin.

Miroku was about to answer when a little girl of about 8, wearing a frilly red dress ran up to them. "Kenji-aniki! Kenji-aniki!"

He was even more confused, when Souta suddenly shouted, "I am here, Kimiko!"

'Kimiko?' he thought, his mind spinning. 'Isn't Kimiko the name of Kagome's departed grandmother? Higurashi-jiisan's younger sister?'

It was then that Miroku looked around the shrine. The well house looked different... all the wooden planks looked much newer, and a small bamboo fountain was a few feet away from it. Even the Higurashis' home looked different. It was painted white, and its roof was a dark gray.

He then looked at Souta, and he realized that it wasn't Souta... this boy's features were a tad sharper, his hair deep black instead of dark brown. He also had a mole beside his right eye, something that he knew for a fact wasn't Souta's...

As if on impulse, he slipped his hand into his pocket, taking out the old set of prayer beads. Except, they didn't look so old anymore. The beads he was holding looked not a day over a year old, still beautifully polished, but the chips on the wood were gone.

Realization hit him, and he looked apprehensively at the boy talking to his animated little sister.

"Kenji..." he whispered, but the boy heard him.

"Yes, Miroku?"

Miroku's mind was spinning... where was he? Or maybe... WHEN was he? If his suspicions were correct...

"What's the date today, Kenji?"

Kenji looked skyward for a moment, seemingly thinking. "July 20, 1952, I think... oh wait, it's 21... no! 20! It's 20, Miroku."

But Miroku wasn't listening... he had zoned out when he heard 1952...

He had just gone 52 years into the past.

oooooooooo

A/N: Well... that was the first chapter. Should I continue this? Please, read and review. And no flames, please. Thanks!

ScarletRaven1001


	2. Full of Surprises

A/N: Hey, hey, hey! I'm back with another chapter! Just to think that I just had the worst week of my life. School was a drag, as usual, and I can barely believe that I actually got through it.

Anyway, on Kag and Miroku's conversation... I think I had left out the fact that they were on the PHONE... Hehe... gomen. I edited the last chapter because of that. Gods, I am so dense.

Here's the chapter. I hope you all enjoy this one. Please read and review! Thanks!

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, he wouldn't be on TV... I would be keeping him at home for my own evil pleasure. In short: I. Don't. Own. Him... or any other related characters.

oooooooooo

PRAYER BEADS

Full of Surprises

oooooooooo

Miroku really didn't know what to do... He could barely understand what was happening. How could one person possibly travel 52 years into the past?!

He sighed as he trudged down the long staircase of the Higurashi shrine. After the initial shock of finding out that it was July 20, 1952 instead of July 20, 2004, he had turned and said goodbye to Souta.

But now he didn't know where he was supposed to be going.

He couldn't go over to his house. At this day and age, his mansion was probably just a grassy vacant lot. His ancestral home was still inhabited by his grandfather, who probably wouldn't be too happy to see a replica of himself in modern clothing. He couldn't even stay at the Higurashi shrine, lest he bump into his grandfather...

The self-same one he could see walking up the shrine steps.

Panicked, Miroku looked around for something to hide behind. Spotting a cluster of bushes on the path to his right, he dove in, watching the younger version of his grandfather as he slowly trudged up.

Miroku was shocked to realize that he and his grandfather looked positively identical. The monk wore typical monk's robes of purple and indigo, humming a soft tune as he walked. In his arms he carried a bunch of small spring flowers, probably as an offering to the shrine.

When he was sure that his grandfather was nowhere in sight, he took off from his hiding place and ran down the steps like the hounds of hell were after him. It would definitely not do for his grandfather to face him – schizophrenia was never a good thing.

His frantic run was as smooth as it can get. Unfortunately, the shoes he was wearing did not seem to have been made for running, and as he placed his foot on a particularly uneven step, the tip of his shoe caught, and he found himself falling.

As he flailed around futilely, he noticed that a woman was walking on the road across the bottom of the steps, and he would be falling right on top of her if she didn't move.

"Lady, look out!" he shouted in warning just as he flailed around. To his surprise, the woman, instead of shrieking and running off, looked up and held out her hands as if to catch him, and he caught a glimpse of cherry colored lips as he fell forward, right into the woman's waiting arms.

The force of his fall pushed the woman back a few feet as he crashed into her, but she remained on her feet despite the height of her stilettos. His arms wound around her on reflex, as he felt her hands reach up to grasp his biceps to push him up.

"Are you ok?" the woman asked, pushing him back to look at his face.

At a glimpse of her face, however, Miroku seemed to have lost control of his voice. Her magenta eyes were worried as she searched him for injuries, her lips pouted in concentration, her cheeks flushed slightly from the heat of the sun on her skin.

'She is beautiful,' Miroku thought, and before he could regain control of his voice, he lost control of another little part of his anatomy... a little part that traveled from her lower back... to the tightest buttocks his delighted hands had ever groped.

The woman's concerned face melted into an angry, embarrassed scowl, and she pushed him off her, pulled her right hand back and gave him a strong resounding...

SLAP!

... that sent him crashing to the ground at her feet.

"Hentai no bakayarou!" she shrieked, her cheeks flushed with anger this time. She turned away from him with a huff, and stalked off, her heels clicking against the pavement as she muttered angrily.

Miroku watched her as she walked, following the sway of her hips and the way her black knee-length skirt fluttered around her legs. The wind blew her waist-length hair around her, her slim figure accentuated by the sheer royal blue blouse that she wore.

Miroku finally regained his brain as the woman rounded a corner, and he immediately got to his feet and rushed after her.

"Hey, lady, wait!" he shouted after her as he jogged up, but she gave no indication of slowing down. Then, remembering that she had called him a "perverted bastard" in fluent Japanese, he added, "Chotto matte, kudasai!"

The woman paused in surprise as he asked her to "wait a moment" in her own native tongue. 'He's Japanese?' she thought as she turned back, an eyebrow raised in question.

Miroku grinned in relief when she turned, and he quickened his pace. In his haste, though, he didn't notice a wet patch on the ground, and he slipped, falling painfully on his butt.

"Gah!" he shouted as he fell. He rubbed his tailbone and winced, glaring at the wet spot that caused him to fall again.

Soft chuckling made him look up, and he realized that the beautiful woman was laughing softly, AT HIM, as she made her way toward him.

"This is not your day, is it, mister?" she said with a smile as she held out a hand to him.

"Eh, you can say that," he agreed as he took her offered hand and pushed himself up with her help. He dusted himself off as he stood, before looking back at the smiling woman.

"Ano... he began. "I just wanted to say thanks for helping me out. And, hehe... sorry because my hand kinda... slipped."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Slipped?"

"Hai," he said, an eyebrow twitching. "I assure you it was an accident."

"Alright. Gratitude noted and apology accepted. Goodbye," she said as she turned again.

"Wait!" he said again, reaching for one of her slender hands. She turned again, one of her brows raised inquiringly even as a blush stained her cheeks from the contact. "I just... ano... my name is Miroku Parker Houshi. May I please know your name?"

The woman slowly pulled her hand back. "You are part Japanese?"

"Yes," he replied with a small, sheepish smile.

The woman smiled back. "So am I. I am Taijiya. Sango Taijiya."

Miroku's head spun at her words. "Sango... Taijiya? You're Sango Taijiya?"

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

It did not make sense... Sango Taijiya was an old woman with the body of a young woman... not an actual young woman! But on the other hand, it did make sense. After all, hadn't he just seen his own grandfather as a young man a few moments earlier?

"Oh, no, my dear lady," he replied, and thinking fast, he added. "I believe I have heard your name somewhere. Are you an actress, perhaps?"

Sango visibly brightened. "Yes, I am an actress. You have heard of me, truly?"

"Oh yes, I am sure of it now," he remarked, though in all actuality, he didn't really know much about her.

"Well, I am glad. I was afraid all my hard work had been going nowhere!" she said.

"Of course not! I heard you were brilliant. I'm an actor myself," he said before he could stop himself. 'Shit, good going, Houshi!'

"You are? To which theater are you affiliated?"

"Um..." Miroku began, thinking of any theater. "Sunset," he answered, mentally kicking himself as he remembered that he had been referring to a theater that had been built in the 1970's.

"Sunset? I do not believe I have heard of it..."

"Well, it is pretty new," he fibbed.

"I see," she replied. "Please excuse me, Houshi-sama, but I have to go now."

"Oh, of course, I am sorry for having kept you. But please, allow this humble man the luxury of seeing you again..." he said, mentally begging her to give him a location.

"Well... I work at the Sincerity theater..." she replied, a bit hesitantly. "And I rent a unit at the Jones' Apartment Complex."

"Wonderful!" he said excitedly, before reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips. "Until we meet again, Sango-sama."

Sango gasped softly as his lips met her skin. "Yes... until next time, Houshi-sama."

With that, he let her go. She gave him one last smile before turning on her heels and walking in the direction of the old theater.

oooooooooo

"Cut!"

Sango winced as Jakotsu, their stage director, frantically waved the stage script around as he shouted. He was scolding the lightsmen, something about red lights, and she flinched when he rounded on her.

"And you!" he said loudly, looking for all the world like a mad boyfriend reprimanding his girl for wearing a too-short skirt. As he approached though, climbing the steps up the stage slowly, his eyes turned softer, and his voice all but lost its masculine quality as he asked, "Sango dear, is something wrong?" He then led her to one of the chairs backstage. "I know this is just rehearsal, but your performance today isn't you, dear! You lack feeling! Is something bothering you?"

'You have no idea,' Sango thought, before she smiled at her gay friend and boss. "I am just a little distracted, I have to admit. May I leave early tonight, Jacky?"

Jakotsu smiled at her. They had been friends for a long time, and Sango was one of the few people who knew that he wasn't exactly straight. "Of course, dear. You may leave now, if you want. But swear that you will be back to normal tomorrow."

"I swear, Jacky..."

"And you will tell me what is bothering you."

Sango sighed. She knew this was coming. "Ok... it's not that big, really..."

"You will still tell me. Go on."

"Ok... I met this guy..."

"Really?" Jakotsu asked, a brow raised in question. He grinned. "Is he luscious?"

"JACKY!" Sango exclaimed, smacking his arm. "Well... he is very good-looking."

"Ooh... details!"

"Violet eyes..." Sango began, just as an image of the said man as he looked up at her, his arms around her and hers around him after he fell off the stairs, came back to her. "Deep violet, Jacky. A very strong build. He could have been a marine. Full lips, and a tall nose. Short hair, pulled back in a short ponytail. He is also of Japanese descent, and an actor."

"Sounds dreamy."

"When I first looked into his eyes..." she began dreamily. "Oh... You will never believe how we met. I was walking to work, and there he was, flailing around on the Higurashi shrine steps. I caught him, and..."

"Now he just sounds clumsy."

"... he groped me. Then, he said it was an accident, then we spoke, and he asked where he could see me again."

"He wants you bad, girl!"

"But now he won't get out of my mind!" Sango exclaimed. "I find him very attractive. Oh Jacky, I should have at least asked where he lived!"

"But he asked where you lived, ne? That should be enough," Jakotsu remarked.

"It's not as if he would actually visit me here. And I was not specific about where I lived. And..."

"Miss Sango!" Somebody called, and both she and Jakotsu looked up to find one of the guards walking towards her. "There is someone here to see you."

oooooooooo

Miroku trudged along the road, watching the children biking in the sidewalks, their skirted mothers advising them to be careful. He felt as if he were trapped in one of those old 1950's movies. But he was trapped IN the 1950's, wasn't he?

He dug around his pockets, hoping that he had popped some food into them. But no... they had to be empty, and he was starving!

He looked around the tiny shops, and he found, like a beacon of light, a shop that read "Jewelers".

He looked down at his hands and neck, finding three gold rings, a bracelet, his favorite Rolex and a necklace with an M-shaped pendant. He thanked his lucky stars for the lapse in sanity on his part that made him decide to wear so much jewelry.

He walked in, discreetly taking off his bracelet and two of his rings. He approached the counter, where a short bald man sat, reading a few magazines.

"Excuse me?" he said, and the man looked up with a smile. "I would like to know if you would consider buying some pieces of jewelry that I have? I am afraid I do not have the receipts with me..."

"Oh, it is quite alright. Let me see them," the bald man asked, taking out a small apparatus for appraisal of the jewelry.

Miroku handed them over and the old man began appraising them. He grinned when the old man gasped lightly.

"This is high-quality gold! I am sorry, but I may not be able to buy all three of these items. This is but a small store. I can, however, give you twenty grand for this bracelet and one of these rings," the old man said.

Miroku smiled. "Twenty would be fine," he answered, taking one of his two rings back.

The old man nodded, taking out a metal case of money. The cash appeared to be bundled up by thousands, and Miroku smiled as the man gave him twenty of the bundles. The old man then took a cloth back from his drawers, and gave it to him to use as a bag for the money.

"If you ever need to do business again, come by. I would be able to give you money for your rings in a week," the old man said.

"Thank you, mister."

"Myoga. Call me Myoga."

"Thank you Myoga. And one last thing..." Miroku said. "Could you tell me where to find the Sincerity Theater?"

oooooooooo

"Really? Do you know who it is?" Sango asked.

The guard shook his head. "No, Miss Sango. He says you met earlier, and he is wearing the most peculiar clothes..."

"It's him!" Sango whispered, but Jakotsu caught it.

"The dreamy klutz who wants you is here?" he asked.

"Yes!" Sango replied, getting up and smoothing the wrinkles off her skirt. Jakotsu went into "male mode" and began to stand, but she threw her arm in his way. "Down, Jacky. You already have your own target."

"But Sango, I am in male mode! As for my target, he's already got his eye on that new friend of yours!" Jakotsu whined.

"Doesn't mean you can barge in on my new find! Besides, he's not any more homosexual than your previous target is," she whispered as she turned to follow the guard, hearing Jacky say 'Fine, be that way,' as she headed over.

And just as she thought – there he was, looking ever the charmer as he stood with his back against the wall, holding what looked to be a cloth sack. He watched all the proceedings around him with interest, like a real stage director surveying his work.

"Hello, Houshi-sama," she greeted as he turned his gaze her way, flashing her a bright smile. "What brings you here?"

"I told you I wanted to see you, didn't I?"

Sango blushed heavily, and replied with a very eloquent "Oh..."

"Is it time for you to head back home, yet? I was wondering if you would allow me to walk you home..." Miroku left the question hanging.

"Of course," Sango said, before mentally slapping herself. 'Baka! I barely even know him! Why am I even agreeing to this?'

"I'm glad, Sango-sama," he replied, beginning to reach for her hand.

"But I believe I still have a few minutes of practice to do," she said quickly, suddenly feeling butterflies flutter in her stomach when his hand edged near. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jakotsu coming closer. "Right, Jakotsu?"

Jakotsu looked rather confused, but he quickly covered it up and, still in male mode, replied, "Yes, I believe so. Would you care to stay and watch, Mister? Maybe help this director critique? Wait... You do watch stage plays, right?"

Sango could practically feel Miroku sizing Jakotsu up. 'No need to worry, really... Jacky and I are emotionally of the same gender.'

"If it would not be any bother," he replied politely. "And yes, I do watch them... in fact, I direct and act at stage plays, myself."

"Marvelous. Absolutely fabulous," Jacky said excitedly, and Sango saw Miroku raise an eyebrow at the comment, as he nearly sighed in what looked like relief.

The guard then let Miroku sit on one of the chairs before the stage, only a few seats away from Jakotsu. Jakotsu raised his hands in his customary "get ready" signal as everyone made their way to their positions on the stage.

Sango was nervous. There was the man she had just met, sitting there and watching her... critiquing her every move. He was an actor – a director, even – and here she was, horribly distracted and shaking in her shoes.

"Ready with the last scene we were practicing... and... action!" Jacky cried, as Sango once again tried to capture her character.

oooooooooo

She was still blushing...

Miroku bit back a grin as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. They were walking to her apartment, and she had barely said a word since they left the theater.

"Sango-sama, I hope that what is bothering has no connection to the practice?" he asked.

Sango blushed even harder. "I still cannot believe that I forgot my lines," she grumbled.

Miroku laughed. "So you ARE still upset!" he exclaimed, hitching his bag higher on his shoulder. 'Man, this is heavy.'

"I have memorized those lines, Houshi-sama!"

"It's alright, really! It was just practice. Like Jakotsu-san said, you still have a month until the actual presentation, so you can practice all you want. Besides, everybody tends to forget their lines once in a while," he said as he tried to soothe her ruffled feathers.

"But YOU knew the lines! And I sincerely doubt that you have ever played the role of Ophelia before!" Sango exclaimed, looking up at him with irritation in her eyes even as her cheeks still flared pink.

"But I played Hamlet in college a few years ago! After a while I just memorized the lines of Ophelia coz we had so many scenes," Miroku replied absently, distracted as he looked around. They had just passed by the Higurashi shrine, and he was cautious lest he once again bump into his grandfather. Sango's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"College? You have finished college, Houshi-sama?" she asked.

Miroku nearly kicked himself. 'Oh shit, is college even available at this time?' he thought warily. At the time he was in right now, the world war had just been concluded less than a decade ago...

"I was not able to go..." Sango said. "My family barely managed to escape the internment, actually. And even if I had attempted, I might not have gotten accepted. The prejudice against us as I came of age for college was very bad..."

Miroku immediately understood.

"You must come from an influential family then! To have escaped the internment, and have gone to college!" she exclaimed.

Miroku nearly sweat dropped. 'Oh, not rich at all, I assure you... just hiding behind a monastery's influence.'

"Ah, no. Just lucky," he replied, but he could sense more questions coming, so he immediately changed the subject. "So, how long have you lived in this town? I'm new here, and still looking for a place to live."

"You can live with me," Sango said, before an incredibly deep blush took over her face. "I mean," she stuttered. "You can rent an apartment at Blitz."

"I had been thinking about that, but was not sure you'd agree. Now that I have your blessing, I absolutely will!" Miroku replied, biting back a chuckle at Sango's blush. "How far from the theater is your home?" They had been walking for at least a half hour by now...

"Oh," Sango said, looking ahead, before brightening. "We are here!" she exclaimed as she pointed to the building before them.

It was an apartment with about three stories, looking rather like a shoebox painted red and drilled with windows. The door was of old wood, with a square of glass near the top for people to look through.

Miroku hurried to the door and pushed it open for Sango, letting her pass through before going in himself. They then headed for the front desk where Miroku reserved a room and gave them his payment for the coming month. As if by a twist of fate, the only room vacant was the one that was right across Sango's.

Sango stared at him as he haggled with the apartment's owner. She had never before realized that he was wearing jewelry, and very expensive-looking jewelry at that. And that bag! She had to slam it closed lest anyone else see what, and how much of it, was inside that sack.

And to think that he had finished college... he was obviously rich, so what was he doing in their town? And renting a room in a nearly run-down apartment, too...

Miroku turned to her then, and all thoughts vanished from her head when he smiled at her. He was definitely very handsome...

"Shall we?" he asked, and Sango nodded as they walked to the stairs.

She watched him discretely as they climbed the stairs side by side, and couldn't help but notice how familiar, albeit strange, his clothing looked now that she really thought about it. She had seen a very similar style of clothing on one of her new friends. And his rather relaxed, nearly lax way of speaking REALLY reminded her of that certain friend.

"Houshi-sama, where do you live? You see, my roommate dresses just like you," she said, then quickly added, "Not that I have anything against your manner of clothing! It is just... she will not tell me where she is from, and I believe that she has a problem that I can help with if I knew more about her."

Miroku quickly thought of a lie, before he chuckled, looking at Sango. "My style of clothing IS weird, isn't it? I come from..." he began, but stopped when he nearly slammed into a woman heading down the stairs. He dropped his back by accident, and he knelt to pick it up, when he heard a very familiar voice greet Sango.

"You're home early, Sango-chan!"

Miroku looked up as he heard the voice, and he nearly lost his footing in surprise.

Sango was laughing as she answered. "And you seem to be in such a hurry..." she then pointed to Miroku, but did not notice her friend's surprised look as they both turned to the man. "Oh, I would like you to meet..."

"Miroku?"

Sango blinked. "Yes, how did you..." she stopped as she realized that Miroku was looking at her friend with the same shock on his face.

Miroku took a long time to recover from his surprise, but the first thing out his mouth when he did was, "K-Kagome?"

The moment the name left his lips, Sango watched her friend's eyes fill up with tears, as she launched herself on Miroku, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed. Miroku nearly lost his footing on the stairs as he dazedly hugged her back. "Kagome?"

Sango felt a momentary pang of jealousy, which she immediately stomped away in confusion. So they knew each other... big deal... right?

Kagome finally lifted her head from Miroku's chest as she sniffled, laughing at the same time. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," Miroku replied.

Sango cleared her throat. "You... know each other?" she asked when they looked at her.

"Oh, yes!" Kagome replied before Miroku could even get his tongue to work. "He's my best friend! We've known each other since forever, ne Miro?"

"Yeah, we have," he replied, still confused. "Kagome, maybe we should finish climbing the stairs?"

"Oh yeah, come on!" Kagome said, grabbing both Sango and Miroku by one hand as she pulled them up the rest of the steps excitedly. The moment they stepped onto the third floor, Kagome pulled Miroku into a hug again.

'All this hugging is making my hands itch,' he thought as his right hand drifted down to Kagome's behind.

Right before he touched her though, a rather strong pair of hands fisted into his clothing from behind and violently threw him from Kagome, making him land in a confused heap on the floor.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango's voice said worriedly as she rushed over to him, kneeling beside him as he shook the spots in his vision away. "Are you alright?"

Kagome was shouting something at someone, and Miroku had just managed to clear his head when he recognized the dark hair and jaunty stance of the man Kagome was scolding.

"Why did you have to throw him into the wall!" Kagome shouted.

"That guy's a pervert! He was gonna grab your butt!" the livid man shouted back at her.

"He was not!"

"Well he shouldn't have touched you! It's improper, wench!"

"Inuyasha! He's my childhood friend!"

"Yes, I am alright, Sango-sama. But... This is just weird," Miroku remarked as he watched the arguing couple.

"What is?"

"Inuyasha is here too... and Kagome..." Miroku said.

"You know them, too? Well... this day is just full of surprises..." Sango remarked thoughtfully, still studying him. "This is really, REALLY not your day, is it?"

"Absolutely. Strange how I find them both here..." he stuttered, before he grabbed his head. "This is making my head hurt!"

Sango's eyes hardened, and she turned to glare at Inuyasha. "THAT is Inuyasha's doing... could never control his strength..."

Miroku watched as she turned away, leaving her bottom right in front of his hand. Just a few inches more...

"I swear, one of these days, Inuyasha is going to do some serious damage and get sued for it, and..." Sango froze, feeling a very unfamiliar presence on her behind.

Her face darkened, and she stood abruptly with an angry screech...

"AHHHH!!! HENTAI!!!" she yelled, before she gave Miroku another resounding slap, leaving a bright read handprint in its wake.

Miroku rubbed his stinging cheek and sighed as he heard the tell-tale sign of Kagome's impending laughter – a short snort – before she launched into a full blown laugh.

"Miroku, no matter what time you are in, you are still a pervert!" Kagome said, and he saw Inuyasha cross his arms and look at him with distaste. Sango turned from him and headed for one of the apartment doors, hers, apparently, before giving her own opinion...

"I would have to agree, Kagome-chan."

oooooooooo

A/N: There! Man, this chapter was LONG! Not as long as the ones in Seven Weeks though... but just as long to write! Gah, my fingers are getting painful.

Anyway, thanks a lot to all those who reviewed my previous chapter. Responses!

Kyomi: Well... that's why she's much older. Hehe... weird, ne? Anyway, the one on the other line was Hachi... you know, the tanuki.

Dragon's Kitty: I'm glad you liked it! Here's the update!

Siren of Erised: Oh, do come back! But like I said... I'm not gonna be doing research for this fic, just relying on my own knowledge of history, so gomen in advance for any historical mistakes!

Soli-chan: Ehehehe... here's the update... It was from the movie "Somewhere in Time, apparently, and the summary my friend gave me to post for this fic was actually its tagline, so I changed it. Hehe...

Aamalie: I just changed the summary, coz I had, in a sense, unintentionally plagiarized a movie's tagline... I am just gonna go kill my friend, who had given me the summary. Hehe... I'm glad you liked it!

Bluefuzzyelf: Yeah, I honestly don't think I have ever seen any fics with Miroku traveling through time... so I posted this! I;m glad you liked it!

Katrina5: I guess it IS unusual for Miroku... I'm glad you liked it!

Jschu25: Oh, you read Enchanted Dawn? COOL! I was honestly starting to think that nobody reads that fic... Thanks! I'm glad you like my fics!

Ophilia LeNoir: They got separated?! Oh, shucks! I was hoping they would get together... Here's the update. I'm glad you liked it!

HMPrune: Ooh... you're my VERY FIRST REVIEWER! Thanks! Here's the next one!

So, I'm off! Please read and review! Ja!

Scarlet


	3. You Will Stay, Houshisama?

A/N: I'm baaack! Hehehe... Some people seemed to think that I had died already, but look! I'm alive! With a chapter for two of my stories too...

Here's the next chapter. I made it extra long to make up for the time it took me to post it. I hope you all enjoy, and please, review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or anything more significant than lint.

oooooooooo

PRAYER BEADS

You Will Stay, Houshi-sama?

oooooooooo

Miroku awoke grudgingly to bright sunlight in his face, and he blinked a few times to get rid of the spots before his eyes. Memories of the previous day assailed him, and a growing sense of dread filled him as the full implications of everything FINALLY got through to his brain.

He was trapped in the 1950's, with nothing but a few pieces of jewelry to his name...

Scratch that – the name he was using wasn't even supposed to be his, yet. That would be his grandfather's. At this day and age, he was yet to be born, heck, he was yet to be conceptualized, and he had to maintain a low profile since he wasn't supposed to legally and rightfully exist yet.

And now he was living in a dilapidated apartment complex with his best friend, an over-protective, overbearing hound, and the most beautiful woman he had ever groped.

They had shared a simple dinner the previous night, where the dark-haired, violet-eyed lion of a man named Inuyasha had kept him as far away as humanly possible from Kagome the entire night. Too bad for them, since they REALLY needed to talk – both he and Kagome seemed still unaware of how they could possibly be in the past, and he was confused as to how the girl was there, when she was just in his time, and Sango claimed that they had met about a month prior...

A few things had been clear though... Inuyasha didn't recognize him in the least – which had been weird, since Inuyasha and he had been rather compatible on a few different levels and had been getting along quite well in 2004 – and it seemed he and Kagome were not romantically involved.

His head was starting to hurt again.

The look Kagome had given him the night before, right as they went to their respective rooms to sleep, spoke volumes: 'We gotta talk, in private, you pervert.'

He sighed and pushed back the slightly moth-bitten covers in his bed in something short of disgust before donning his shirt and pants. Having gotten there so late the previous day, he had been unable to buy anything for the apartment that he would be living in for the next month.

He hadn't been born to a life of luxury, but even his old things had been in much better shape than the few pieces in there. He regarded his remaining jewelry, which he had left on the bedside table, before he decided to toss them into the bottom of the drawer to not risk dropping or losing them. After all, they were his only sources of money at present. In place of the jewelry, he felt around his pockets and brought out the string of blue prayer beads and slipped them over his head.

As he walked out of his room, not even bothering to find something to brush his hair, he decided: After breakfast, he was gonna buy some sheets!

Along with some clothes. The weird looks he had gotten from all the people as he walked down the hallway were not unnoticed. After about the hundredth person had stared at his outfit with a shrug, he headed right back to Kagome and Sango's door.

As he raised his hand to knock, the door opened, and he stared at a slightly perturbed Kagome, who was self-consciously smoothing her dark maroon dress.

"Nice beads," Kagome commented, poking at the ornament. "What are you doing here so early?" she asked.

"I woke up. Duh. What are YOU doing up?"

Kagome shrugged as she turned and closed the door, stepping out into the hall with him. "Force of habit, I guess. I used to get up real early for my work in the call center, so no matter how hard I try, I never get to sleep later than seven."

"Same here," Miroku replied as both he and Kagome began to head for the eating room. "Since I got that hit with my second movie and the contracts started piling, I barely get 3 hours of sleep anymore. Now I can't seem to sleep more than five hours."

Silence settled between them as they reached the canteen of sorts, and both ordered a bagel and a cup of coffee each from a droopy-eyed food vendor. The silence was broken as soon as they found a table, as the intrigue and curiosity surrounding their trip to the past took over.

"What happened?" Kagome began. "How did you get here?"

Miroku shrugged. "I have no idea. I fell down the well in your shrine yesterday, and found myself facing a teenage Kenji Higurashi."

Kagome gave a nervous laugh. "I bumped into Granny Kimiko when I got out of the well. So, in 2004, I've been missing for about a month, ne, Miroku?"

Miroku still didn't understand some things. "So you're saying you've been stuck here the entire time?" he asked. 'How is that possible? She had been in 2004 when I fell... and now she and Sango are saying that she's been here all this time... what do I tell her?'

"Mama must be so worried," Kagome continued. "How is she? How is everybody? I tried sneaking back into the shrine to get back to the future, but when I tried jumping into the well, it won't let me through!"

He furrowed his brows in confusion. Should he, or shouldn't he tell Kagome that she had been in the future the whole time, except for a couple of days after her birthday? It didn't make sense!

"Kagome... everybody is fine," he said, deciding not to tell her – yet. "But I do want to know how you got here, and how you met Sango. I'm sure you already know how WE met..."

"I can't say I was surprised when she told me you groped her," Kagome remarked with a grin. "Well, I met Sango through Inuyasha. I... during my last birthday, strange noises woke me up real early, and I followed them through to the well house. When I got there, I saw something in the bottom of the well and was trying to see what it was when I fell..."

'Sounds familiar,' Miroku thought with a chuckle.

"So it was still dark out when I arrived here. I was confused about why the door to our house was locked, so I tried calling for mama. Granny Kimiko opened the door. I was so surprised when I finally realized where, or WHEN I was, so I sprinted off, only to be met by a couple of muggers."

"Muggers!"

"Yes," Kagome said. "That's where I met Inuyasha. He saved me from those creeps, scolded me for being out so early, criticized my clothing, and found me a place to stay when he found out I didn't have a home. He brought me to Sango since I had no money, and he supposed I could just stay here with her."

Miroku chuckled again. "That is so like Inuyasha."

Kagome looked confused. "How can you say that when you only met him yesterday?"

Miroku gulped. "I... am a good judge of character?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Whatever. So, how did you end up here?"

Miroku gave her a recount of what happened leading up to his trip through time, from the mysterious old woman, the prayer beads, and meeting the younger version of Sango.

"So... you met the future Sango? And she gave you these beads?" Kagome asked, not lifting her gaze from the polished blue beads around Miroku's neck.

"Hai," he replied, fiddling with the beads, but he still didn't have the heart to tell her that she was in the future, and had even connived to push him into the well herself. The information would just send Kagome panicking.

"This doesn't make any sense..." she said as Miroku showed her the prayer beads. "It was a stupid old well! How did it take us to the past? Why us?"

"I don't know, Kagome... I don't know..."

oooooooooo

"You want to what, Houshi-sama?"

Miroku cleared his throat as he repeated what he had asked. "I want to work in your theater with you... would that be possible? I am rather unemployed right now and it would not do for me to run out of resources."

Sango had found him and Kagome discussing something in the cafeteria when she went down to breakfast, and was quickly invited by the two to sit with them and eat. Now this...

"I think it would be a great idea, Sango-chan! Miroku is a very good actor, and he never forgets his lines. He's also a good director," Kagome piped up.

"But I thought you worked for the Sunset Theater?" Sango asked.

"I did..." Miroku replied, ignoring Kagome's amused stare. "But Sunset is awfully far from here, and I can't exactly travel through two towns each day just to get to work."

"Oh," Sango replied. "I do not know. I would love to have you with us in the theater, but I am not sure if Jacky would agree."

Kagome grinned. "Trust me, Sango-chan. Anybody who has ever seen Miroku-sama act gave in to him. He is THAT good!"

"Well, I know he never forgets his lines... not to mention other characters' lines."

Miroku swelled with pride at the obvious note of admiration in Sango's voice as she said that.

"I will talk to Jacky later. And I will inform you if he would agree to let you audition," Sango continued.

"Great! Would you need my cellphone number?" he asked absentmindedly, and he bit his inner cheek when Kagome frantically began to shake her head at him.

"Your what number?" Sango asked.

"My... umm..." Miroku began.

"His employee number," Kagome immediately rescued, and he mouthed a "thank you" when Sango turned to face the girl. "Sunset has all these weird traditions, and Miro-kun keeps forgetting that not every theater is like Sunset, ne Miro?"

"Umm... yeah!" Miroku agreed. "Haha... silly me!"

"Ok..." Sango replied reluctantly, before she got up to leave. "Best I leave now. If I want to recruit someone, I had better be punctual about it!"

oooooooooo

"What is wrong with these people?" Miroku asked Kagome with more than just a little irritation as they returned to the apartment. The two of them had gone shopping for clothing and supplies, and Miroku had both hands full with his – and Kagome's – new purchases. Kagome had successfully suckered him into buying her stuff.

"What ever do you mean?" she asked as she held the door open for him.

"They wouldn't stop staring at my clothing. Weren't jeans supposed to have gotten popular in the 1950's because of James Dean?" he remarked.

Kagome shook her head. "Miroku, this is 1952. James Dean got his first hit in either 1954 or 1955, if I'm not mistaken. Therefore, you are way ahead in the fashion department."

Miroku grumbled angrily, but the sound he uttered was drowned out by the growl a certain someone had started spewing from a corner of the apartment's reception room.

"Just where in hell did you two disappear to?" Inuyasha asked menacingly as he advanced on them. Both Miroku and Kagome cringed at the angry glint in his eyes.

Kagome was the first to speak up. "We just went and got some clothes. Miro-kun is relatively new here, and I volunteered to show him around."

"Are you a tour guide, bitch?"

"NO!"

"Then it was not your job to show him where to find what in the city!"

"He's my friend!"

"Friend, my ass... you're acting like you're lovers!"

Miroku stared as the two continued to shout and make a scene in the middle of the large room. He noticed the angry flush in the man's cheeks, and realization hit him as more careless accusations spilled from his lips. 'Inuyasha is jealous!'

The Inuyasha he had met in 2004 was very confident, and he definitely knew his place in Kagome's heart. He was nothing like the insecure, jealous and disheveled young man before Miroku at present... except for the possessive part, that is.

"Do you just like men in general, or is it this bouzo's money that you find so attractive?" Inuyasha continued to growl, and Miroku very visibly cringed.

Kagome looked scandalized. "I am NOT after his money!"

"Then you DO like men!"

"Why you..."

"Guys!" Miroku butted in. "This is pointless! Why don't we all sit down for a while..."

"Keh! You expect me to sit down and act civilized with YOU?" Inuyasha growled as he turned to him, cracking his knuckles.

"Inuyasha! Stop terrorizing the people!" Sango's voice suddenly rang out, and all three turned towards the door to find her there, standing with her hands on her hips. She strode over to them determinedly, and her hands tugged on a lock of Inuyasha's black hair as she approached. "I swear, Inuyasha! You desperately need to take anger management lessons!"

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes, pulling his hair away from Sango. "Not you too..."

"Oh, yes, me too," Sango replied. "Before I forget, I had passed through the shop, and Yo-jiichan had asked me to inform you that he had fetched a very good price for the jewelry he acquired yesterday."

'Jewelry?' Miroku thought. 'Is Inuyasha into jewelry right now?'

"Really?" Inuyasha asked, his interest suddenly piqued. "Well that was fast... thanks Sango, I should go over to him." Inuyasha took one look at Miroku and Kagome, who had identical looks of puzzlement on their faces, before he declared, "Or maybe later... Jiijii can handle it all on his own."

Miroku grinned widely. 'Ah, Inuyasha, green is not a very good color on you...'

"So, Sango, what did Jacky say?" Kagome suddenly asked, and Miroku could have sworn that Inuyasha flinched at the mention of the name.

"Oh yes, I came to tell you," Sango said as she turned to Kagome and Miroku. "Jacky said that he would have no problem having Miroku around since he obviously has some talent in directing, but he would first like to see him act."

"Yes!" Miroku and Kagome pumped their fists in glee at the same time, earning them weird looks from the two others.

"Could he go and audition now, Sango?" Kagome asked excitedly, and she squealed when Sango nodded. "This is great! Can I tag along?"

"Yeah, bring her, Sango. Maybe that director friend of yours can give the wench a job," Inuyasha interjected, earning him a dirty glare from the future girl.

Miroku sensed a strong note of dislike of Jacky coming off Inuyasha in waves, and he suspected that he now had the perfect topic of conversation to strike up with the irate man. 'Ah, finally, a topic we may both agree on.'

"Actually, Jacky commented that he liked the patchwork you did on that costume last week, Kagome. He asked if you would be interested in being the theater's costume designer?" Sango supplied.

"He's offering me a job? Of course I'm interested! I've been sitting idle and useless for so long, I'm starting to grow ashamed of myself!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Well, it's settled then! We shall all go to Sincerity Theater right now!" Sango said with a smile, but her smile turned utterly diabolic as she turned back to Inuyasha. "I'll bet Jakotsu will be VERY pleased to see you, Inuyasha... you haven't been to visit for ages!"

Inuyasha visibly cringed, and Sango laughed before telling Miroku and Kagome to bring their things to their room before they headed off to the Theater.

oooooooooo

"I'm freaked out about seeing that guy," Miroku muttered loudly enough for Inuyasha, who was walking alongside him, to hear. The two girls, who were chatting amiably just ahead of them were none the wiser.

Inuyasha turned to face him. "What?"

"Jakotsu. He gives off rather... strange vibes, don't you think?" Miroku asked, acting as if he was really hesitant to pursue the topic, instead of what his real motive was – to get Inuyasha to agree with him on something so he wouldn't be so hostile.

It seemed to work. Miroku grinned widely when Inuyasha cringed, darting a tentative glance at him. "So... you could tell too, huh?"

"Yeah..." Miroku replied, scratching his head. "I mean, what straight guy would say words like 'marvelous, absolutely fabulous' to another guy? Not just that... he stared at me weird."

"I can relate," Inuyasha added, looking straight ahead though his face was pensive and short of disgusted. "That freak had been after me for months... since we met."

'Gotcha,' Miroku thought, knowing he had now stepped a foot into the man's good side. "Makes you wanna wish to just disappear, doesn't it?" he said, and Inuyasha nodded as he turned to face him.

And the two men began talking in civilized tones to each other.

oooooooooo

Miroku grinned as he looked at the last scene he was supposed to act out for his audition. He had been asked to dance and sing, which he felt he had passed with flying colors even though the song he had sung had not been composed yet at the time. Then he was given a sheet containing fragments of different plays. The first few scenes had been that of a comedy, then of confusion, then of seething hatred. This last one was very interesting.

He skimmed through them quickly before Jacky said 'action', and at the cue, he looked straight at Sango, making her blush, before he looked away, fell to his knees and raised his arms to wrap around an imaginary body on the ground, and began.

"My life was meaningless..." he began, as his eyes automatically lost the humor they normally displayed. This scene was of sadness. "But you... you brought light into my life," he said, a sad, slight smile curving his lips, "I had been searching all my life for you... wishing all my life for you. You were the one thing I never thought I would have."

Tears gathered at the edges of his eyes, but he remained manly despite the sorrow of his voice and gaze. His face was of pleading, one of yearning, desperate hope that moved all the people in the room. "Please, don't' leave me. Not when I have just found you! You can't!" he half shouted desperately. Then, in a heartbroken sob, he whispered, "You can't... not before I could get the chance to be with you... not before I tell you... I love you..."

"Cut!" the command seemed to wake all the observers from a trance Miroku had created, and they all clapped as he gave a cheeky bow. Sango seemed especially moved, the tears standing in her eyes a testament to how touched she was by his acting. Even Inuyasha was looking impressed.

Jacky then climbed up the stage with him, before saying in a loud voice, "Anyone who thinks he shouldn't be admitted into the theater, raise your left hand."

No one did.

oooooooooo

"You were amazing, Houshi-sama!" Sango exclaimed as she and Miroku headed back to the apartments. Kagome and Inuyasha had to go someplace else, leaving them both to go back home alone.

Miroku chuckled, the praise being one that he had received numerous times. "I'm honored that you think so, Sango-sama. After all, I am joining the theater so I could get the chance to work with you."

Sango blushed heavily, even as she remembered Kagome's words from the previous night: "He is quite a charmer... sometimes I could barely tell if he was serious or not!"

"You mean, aside from the fact that you were unemployed?" she teased.

It was his turn to blush. "Ah, that too."

Sango smiled. "But truly, you must be one of the best actors of the Sunset Theater! Why did you leave that group?"

Miroku cringed, trying to come up with a fast, believable lie. "It was... really not my choice. You see, I, um... had to move here for... personal reasons."

"Oh," Sango mumbled, disappointed. She was curious about this man, and Kagome's past, and was dying to know more, but she wasn't about to ask him what those 'personal reasons' were.

"Well, you certainly travel light," she commented, referring to his lack of baggage. "All you had with you was money."

"I do not very much enjoy lugging heavy bags around," he replied with a grin as he caught sight of their apartment. "I would much rather just buy my things once I get there."

"That is a strange philosophy," Sango remarked. "After all, would it not be more convenient to not have to go to the nearest stores just to buy a change of clothes? Not to mention, more economical."

"Money is really the least of my problems right now," he mumbled, earning him a raised eyebrow from Sango.

'It is really strange of me to meet three people with such secretive pasts within the span of three months,' Sango mused. "At least you have a house for now, right?"

"And a job. But that is really all that I need to survive, isn't it?" Miroku said thoughtfully as they stepped into the main reception room of the small, run-down apartment.

"I agree," Sango nodded, and they were both about to head for the stairs when the receptionist called her. She turned with a questioning look as the woman ran up to her breathlessly, holding up a slip of paper that she immediately handed to Sango.

"Sango, a message came in for your friend Inuyasha. Would you mind informing him? I haven't seen him around. And there is a man waiting for you in the waiting room in your floor," the girl said quickly, and turned before Sango could get the chance to thank her.

Miroku was looking at the piece of paper with interest. "For Inuyasha, huh? Just how long have you known him?" he asked curiously.

"Only about three months. We met under the strangest circumstances..."

"Really? Why do you say that?"

"Well," Sango giggled as they climbed up the stairs towards their floor. "He was wearing some ripped clothes, running frantically from a small army of homosexuals..."

"NO!" Miroku said, horrified at the thought. "By any chance, was Jakotsu in that army?"

"Oh! You've figured it out?" Sango said in surprise.

"Sango-sama, no man could not tell that 'Jacky' is gay. So, was he?"

"Well, he was basically leading them..."

"Gods! Poor Inuyasha! No wonder he was so horrified of Jakotsu!"

"Yes, well, it appeared the 'army' had found him sleeping alone in the forest beside the Shinto Shrine where I met you, and were trying to 'wake him up'. So he was fleeing, and when he caught sight of me, his eyes widened and he started screaming 'help'!" Sango said laughingly, while Miroku stood shocked.

"Inuyasha was afraid of a few gays?" Miroku asked as they approached the waiting area, spotting a sole man sitting in one of the couches. The man had been staring at Sango, and his gaze was making Miroku very uncomfortable.

"Well, wouldn't you be, if..." Sango began, but she froze in her tracks when she spotted the man sitting in the waiting area. She backed away instinctively, colliding with Miroku who stood warily behind her.

"What do you want?" Sango asked stonily, as the man stood and began walking towards her.

"Ku ku ku, Sango. Is that truly the way to greet your..."

"Don't you dare continue that statement, Naraku," Sango seethed. "What are you doing here? I told you I never want to see you again."

Miroku moved to stand protectively in front of her as he sensed the resentment Sango held against the man in front of her.

"Come now Sango," the man went on, totally dismissing Miroku even as he stood directly in his path. "No need to get so hostile."

Miroku decided to intervene. "Good sir, I believe the Lady Sango is rather uncomfortable with your presence. If I may, would you please just tell her what you came here for?"

Naraku glared at him. "And who are you?"

"I am but a friend of the lady."

"Then get out of my way, I need to talk to her."

"No! Houshi-sama, please stay," Sango exclaimed, clutching the fabric of his shirt. "He has no right to order you around. And he holds no sway over my life."

"Believe what you will, Sango, but I will regain control over you," Naraku said menacingly.

Miroku fumed at the comment. "I believe that was a threat, sir. I request that you leave," he said in clipped tones.

Naraku reached around him to grab hold of Sango, but Miroku immediately slapped his hand back. The two men glared at each other for a while, before Naraku pulled back and let out a sound that resembled a growl.

"I will be back, Sango. Remember that."

"I hope not," Sango snapped back, tightening her hold on Miroku as they watched Naraku walk away.

Miroku turned to Sango, who was still holding on to his shirt. "Who was that, Sango?" he asked when they were sure Naraku had left.

"Naraku Yogoreta... a part of my past that I would much prefer to forget about," Sango replied, before she headed for one of the chairs in the area and slumped down on it helplessly. "I thought I had gotten rid of him."

"He is not a very good man, is he?" Miroku remarked, still pissed off about the man daring to threaten Sango right in front of him.

"He is a horrible man! I... I have been trying to get away from him, but it seems he is too relentless," Sango sighed dejectedly, burying her face in her hands. "He won't give up!"

"Would he hurt you, Sango-sama?"

"I don't know," she replied grimly. "But I would not wish to find out personally."

Miroku's eyebrows drew together. Keeping his eyes on the beautiful woman, he held up both of her hands in his, drawing her attention.

Sango was reminded of just how handsome Miroku truly was when she looked into his expressive eyes. His determined face captivated her, his sensuous lips beckoning her. She tried to look away, but that was near impossible as she seemingly fell into a trance.

Miroku's throat closed up when he realized what he had done, the words he was about to say dying on his lips. Sango was blushing prettily, her eyes slowly going over his face as she tried to form words.

Miroku finally found his wits when he remembered why they were there... why Sango was so upset. "Sango... you do not need to worry about that man, because I promise, I will do everything in my ability to keep him away from you."

Sango smiled hopefully. "You will stay, Houshi-sama?"

"Yes... I will. As long as I am here, I promise to keep you out of harm's way," Miroku replied, letting go of Sango's hands. "Shall we go on to our rooms? I for one would still have to arrange my things."

"Oh, yes! Do you need some help?" Sango offered as she stood.

"I would love for you to help me," he agreed, giving her a pat on the behind...

Sango stiffened. "HENTAI!" she screeched, giving him another new 'handprint' on his face.

Miroku blinked dreamily as Sango marched away from him. 'Ah, Sango-sama... the 1950's does have its merits, after all...'

oooooooooo

Inuyasha and Kagome walked back to the Apartment after his visit to his jewelry store. He had to go visit Myouga, whom Sango had always insisted on calling "Yo-jiichan". Kagome, of course, had insisted on coming with him.

The visit was not useless, thank Kami. It seemed Myouga had once again duped some rich bastard into selling him his jewelry for nearly half the price they should have fetched, and now Inuyasha had some more money to his name. 'Keh as if I need any more of that shit.'

But then again, Myouga also had some very interesting news... about a certain something that he would much rather forget. Yet, his past was truly getting closer to him, and he knew, though it brought a sad lump into his throat that soon, he would have to run for it – again.

He looked at Kagome out of the corner of his eye, and his heart dropped even lower. 'I thought I could finally stay put. But now I have to leave, and I never got the chance to tell her... never got the chance with her...'

Kagome noticed Inuyasha's pensive mood, and decided she wanted to keep his mind off it. "I'm glad you and Miroku seem to be getting along fine now. Yesterday you looked like you wanted to murder him!" Kagome told Inuyasha with a giggle.

"Keh... we have some things in common, that's all," he muttered, before he evasively changed the topic. "He's a good performer, ne? I didn't think he'd be that good. Did he train or something?"

"Well, he went to some acting classes as a kid. But he had been good to begin with," she replied. "I remember he was always the star of school plays... the only guy to ever overshadow the girl who played Cinderella in the play Cinderella!"

"That good, huh?" he grunted. "You admire him much?"

"Oh, I admire his talent, but we grew up together so I only see him as an older brother," she explained. "Besides, actors are not my type."

"Then what is your type?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Kagome replied thoughtfully, twisting her hands into the fabric of her knee-length maroon skirt. "I just want somebody who understands me... somebody who would stand up for me."

Inuyasha kept his gaze on the street as he asked, "And you didn't find that where you guys came from?"

"What?" Kagome looked up in confusion at his unexpected question. But then again, everything about him was unexpected... since the day she met him, he had oozed an odd sort of mystery that has never failed to baffle her, and she knew deep inside that with Inuyasha, there was always more than meets the eye. And it was really no secret that Inuyasha was hiding some very important things from her.

"Nothing..." he replied evasively, even as she gave him an evil eye for daring to not answer her. "Keh."

Kagome sighed, knowing well that he had just clammed up and nothing could make him open up about that. She decided on the best course – changing the topic. "Hey, I never really got to thank you for saving me back when I arrived here. And for bringing me to Sango. I'd probably be dead or wandering the streets if it weren't for you," she said with a soft smile, which Inuyasha could not, for the life of him, take his eyes off.

"It was no big deal."

"It was to me," Kagome insisted. "And because of all you've done for me, I couldn't help but feel like I've known you guys all my life. I trust you with my life, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha outwardly cringed, and it did not go unnoticed by Kagome. "Inuyasha... is something wrong?"

"I... nothing."

"Oh come on, Inuyasha! I know you better than that!" Kagome insisted.

Inuyasha gave a resigned sigh. He knew full well that Kagome was aware of the fact that he was constantly hiding something... but should he tell her? He shook his head, before he turned his gaze to the sky and muttered, "I'm not exactly what I seem, Kagome."

Kagome looked straight ahead as she answered. "I know... we all have secrets, Inuyasha. But I know that whatever you decided to keep to yourself, it can't be bad," she flushed. "You're one of the most wonderful people I have ever met."

Inuyasha stopped walking. "But what if I'm really not what you think I am?"

She turned puzzled eyes to him. "Inuyasha... you're my friend. Whatever it is... whoever you are, I'm sure that if ever there is something you don't want me to know, it's for the best. You wouldn't let anything hurt me, I'm sure of it."

"That's just it!" Inuyasha said, suddenly grabbing one of her hands in his. "My being here is my problem. I don't want you to get hurt!"

Kagome brought her other hand up to their entwined hands. "But you're here, aren't you?"

Inuyasha hesitated, before raising his free hand up to brush some stray strands of hair off her face. He let his hand cup her cheek, and even through the darkness that had now fallen upon them, both can see the other blushing. "I can't stay... I'm putting you in danger by being here. And... I just know that when you find out why, your opinion of me will change. And I don't want that."

"Inuyasha, are you trying to tell me something?" she asked, dread seizing her. 'Is he saying goodbye?'

He disengaged himself from their hold, turning his back and clenching his fists. "Once my past finds me, it's not gonna let go. I can't let you get tangled up into it. You don't deserve the hell it will bring."

Incredulous anger took hold of Kagome's heart. "So you're leaving?"

"I have no choice!" Inuyasha declared. "I don't want to go, but I'm sure that you, Sango, and everybody else would want me to leave if you all knew..."

"Stop that!" Kagome said forcefully as she took hold of his sleeve and pulled him back so they were face-to-face. "How do you what we want? How could you know what I want? Did it ever occur to you that I may want to have you here whatever it is you're hiding?"

"You can't get involved Kagome! I've had to deal with this thing alone, all my fucking life!"

"Well, maybe you don't HAVE to deal with it alone anymore, because now you have ME!"

He froze. Did she mean...

"I will be here for you, no matter what it is. You don't even have to tell me what you're trying to hide from... but I want you to stay with me!" Kagome insisted. She raised both hands to cup the sides of his face, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Please don't go, Inuyasha!"

"But I have to..."

"Then take me with you!" Kagome blurted out. Once her mind had processed what she had just shouted, she pulled her hands away and turned, not daring to look at Inuyasha for fear of his reaction.

Inuyasha was stunned. "You... what? Kagome..." Inuyasha pulled her, holding her sides to make her face him again.

"I don't have a life here, Inuyasha. You gave me what I have now. And I can't..." Kagome started, but something stopped her from continuing. 'I can't just let you go!'

"Would you really still trust me? Whatever my secret was?"

"Yes, I know I will," Kagome replied. 'I care about him...'

Inuyasha opened his mouth to answer, before he suddenly froze, pulling Kagome to his chest protectively, before looking around warily, shouting. "I know you're here! Get out of the fucking shadows and show yourself!"

Kagome was suddenly frightened. Inuyasha was looking rather panicked, holding her to himself more tightly than that time he had defended her against the muggers. He was looking around, as if whatever he realized was there would spring out at any moment.

A growl left Inuyasha's lips as someone emerged from the shadows a bit off to their left. The sound was almost animalistic, hinting at violent fury that he was trying desperately to hold back. He let go of her and pushed her behind him in one motion as he faced the coming figure.

The figure stepped directly under the glow of the nearest street lamp. Kagome gasped at the odd features sported by the person – long, flowing silver hair, deep blue lines along the side of each cheek, and a piercing golden gaze. Features that made the person seem feminine almost, but the masculinity that oozed from the figure was nearly tangible.

But the thing that bothered Kagome the most was, despite the strange markings on his face and other weird characteristics of the man, he looked remarkably like Inuyasha.

"What the fuck do you want?" Inuyasha said in a menacing tone that sent shivers of nervousness up and down Kagome's spine.

"And here I thought you'd be glad to see me," the strange man's smooth voice intoned as a nearly malicious grin surfaced on his face. "Brother."

oooooooooo

A/N: I know that I had indicated that this fic will be Sango/Miroku, but I also have Inuyasha/Kagome here... I simply could not resist! These two pairs are my favorite couples!

Thanks to all the people who took the time to review my previous chapters. I hope you all enjoyed my latest installment.

So there, I'm done! Thank you for reading, and please review! Til next time!

ScarletRaven1001


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